


Ace of Hearts

by GemNika



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bikers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Relationship, CoLu Week 2017, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 07:42:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11801532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemNika/pseuds/GemNika
Summary: CoLu Week 2017, Days 2 and 3: Pool and Endearment





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dragonshost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/gifts), [apriiil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/apriiil/gifts).



> Super huge thanks to Apriiil for reading through this and reassuring me that I wasn't fucking it all up. And another super huge thanks to LittlePrincessNana for teaching me a metric fuckton about biker gangs. Seriously. Both of you fucking rock.

Lucy pulled the grey fuzzy blanket from between her sofa cushions and wrapped it around her shoulders, then set about cleaning up the dark living room. Soda cans were tossed into her empty popcorn bowl along with a Pop Tart wrapper and the cookie container she'd finished off earlier during her Netflix binging. Before she could lift the bowl, a heavy thud sounded from the kitchen window.

She jolted and whirled in place, peering through the darkness with wide eyes. She couldn't see a thing. Normally that wasn't a problem for her, considering she'd lived in that house for the past six years, but when the window behind the couch started rattling, she got just a little freaked out. It was a bit of a bad habit of hers to leave that one unlocked. No one knew about that, as far as she knew. She couldn't find it in herself to move when the latch unhooked and the window started sliding open. Those self defense classes she'd taken at Laxus' request were a bunch of bullshit if she couldn't even muster up the will to do something.

She could think about it, but her legs just wouldn't move. Slam the window down on the shadow climbing into her house. Grab a poker from her fireplace and knock them out. Grab her phone from where it had most likely sandwiched itself beneath the couch cushions and call the police, then wait for Laxus to come barreling down the road in his police cruiser and pull a Big Brother Beatdown on whoever was breaking into her house.

None of that happened though. Not even when the person's foot caught on the drapes and they tumbled inside with a low groan.

"Motherfucker."

Lucy frowned. She would know that voice anywhere. She reached down and switched on the light for the ceiling fan only to find a head of wet maroon hair slowly rising from the floor. "Really, Erik?"

"Shut up and close the damn window," he hissed. Was he shivering? It sure sounded like his voice was a little on the shaky side. "Hurry."

Lucy shook her head and rushed around the couch. Her hands slipped between the drapes to find bitter winter winds gusting past and heavy flurries of snow pouring down onto the already pristinely white ground. She'd forgotten the forecast said there would be some snowfall that night. She slammed the window shut and locked it, then turned around to find Erik kneeling on the floor with his hands moving quickly over his arms to warm himself. "What the hell were you doing out there?"

He shook his head and forced himself to stand, and she followed closely behind while he stumbled toward her bathroom. He was stubborn as always, but that didn't stop her from following him right into the bathroom. Lucy simply stood there, waiting for a response, as he pulled his soaked black thermal shirt off and tossed it to the floor. While admiring the large snake tattoo that coiled its way up his spine, she heard his belt buckle clink. She'd been with him the day he got it done. All twelve hours of tattooing just for the outline and some of the color. Then a month later, when he'd gone back to have it finished, she'd been the only one to see him crying when it really hurt the most.

He shifted, bent slightly, and his pants and the grey and gold boxers beneath were gone. He kicked the black denim off to the corner and ripped his socks off. When had he removed his boots? She didn't remember seeing them come off. Then again, it was a little distracting, watching his deeply tanned skin shift over his muscles as he disrobed. She'd always loved how dark his skin was.

Erik opened the glass shower door, turned on the taps and hopped right in, not even waiting for the water to warm. If he'd been trudging through the snow, she really couldn't blame him for it. Her cold water was probably a whole lot more comfortable than what he'd been walking through.

The question was… Why the hell had he been out there in the first place? Why hadn't she heard his motorcycle roaring through her neighborhood? And why didn't he just come to her front door like a civilized human being?

"Are you going to talk to me?" she asked.

"... Maybe." Well, that was something, at least. In her experience a  _maybe_  was whole leagues ahead of no response, or even him cursing. "Fuck, I'm f-freezing. Come warm m-me up."

"If you'd waited for the water to get hot-"

"T-Too cold."

Lucy rolled her eyes and let the blanket around her shoulders drop to the floor. There was no getting around it, and she knew that. Erik was the weirdest friend she'd ever had, with fewer personal boundaries than even Natsu. At least, he'd always been that way with her. Macbeth had known him since they were kids, and even he got a solid backhand from Erik on more than one occasion for getting too close to touching him.

She removed her flannel pajamas and pulled out two towels, along with the towel warmer Laxus had given her for her birthday earlier that year. Once they were heating up, he pushed the door open and all but dragged her inside the shower. His hands were freezing where they ghosted over her lower back, forcing her away from them and closer to his very naked body. His nose was like ice where it pressed against her pulse.

Because of the dropping temperatures, it took longer than usual for her water to warm. Lucy's arms wound around his shivering body and he hummed quietly in response. "Erik, you're like a big ice cube."

"Don't walk in the s-snow when you're already w-wet," he muttered. "Shit, you're so warm."

"What were you doing?" she asked. She didn't even mind the way his hands slid over her back until she was flush against him. One hand sifted through his hair, pulling bits of ice out of the maroon strands.

"Fucking bullshit," he said. "Gajeel threw me in a goddamn pool."

"He what?!"

Erik nodded and let out a shuddering breath. "Club meeting with all the guys," he said. "Gajeel threw me into the pool. My phone's fucked up, and I wasn't gonna walk around naked where we were at, so…"

"So you decided to come all the way over here to get a warm shower?"

He nodded again.

"Where were you?"

"Slayer Lounge."

She knew that place very well. It was where she'd met Erik in the first place. Laxus had taken her down there on one of his nights off nearly a decade ago, and there Erik was. Dark and mysterious, trading barbs with Gajeel between shots of whisky that didn't seem to affect him at all. While everyone else got hammered, Erik was just the same as when the night had started.

The fact that she'd witnessed him making out with Macbeth, Laxus' boyfriend at the time, let her know later on that he was actually completely trashed the night they'd. He just didn't seem like it. At all. Granted, that tonsil hockey session had also been cause for a fist-fight between him and Laxus that ended with her older brother having a broken nose and Erik getting sent to the hospital with a fractured jaw. Laxus had broken up with Macbeth, only for them to get back together on and off for another three months before fully calling it quits.

Those were the days before her brother had become a police officer, when he'd still been a very active member of the biker gang. According to anyone who didn't know them, they were hooligans. Except they mostly just rode around on motorcycles back then, and then they started raising money for different charities. No one really knew about the good side of The Slayers. Most likely because Acnologia had been convicted of murder just before the gang broke up.

They still hung out at the Lounge. But everyone had gotten real jobs. Now it was just a place where they spent time together and bitched about being adults. They still went on their rides, and there were still a lot of things very much  _alive_  about the gang, but it was so much quieter now that Acnologia and Serena were gone.

"Erik, that's ten miles away!"

"I'm aware."

"Where's your bike?"

"L-Lounge. Needs new anti-freeze mix for the s-snow." Her hands moved faster over his skin to help warm him a little quicker. The water was nearing scalding - the way Lucy usually preferred her showers anyway - so she pushed him further under the spray and went right along with him when he refused to let her go.

"Why did Gajeel throw you in the pool?" She always forgot Serena had installed a pool in the basement before getting killed by Acnologia. She still wasn't clear on the details of that, but Laxus said she really didn't want to know. When Erik told her the same thing, she'd decided not to question it.

"Doesn't matter." Of course he would say that. She should have known he wasn't going to delve into any of his business without her bribing him first. She could probably get it out of Laxus, but her focus was solely on Erik right then.

Lucy pulled back and grabbed her shampoo from the rack, then poured some directly onto the top of his head. She giggled when he sent her a single-eyed glare. He'd always hated getting shampoo right on the head instead of slowly worked into his hair. It was why she did it every time he was in the shower with her. Which, if she was being perfectly honest, was most likely far too often since they were only friends. His eye closed when she tipped his head back to rinse the suds away, and he let out a soft hum of approval.

"That's amazing," he sighed. Lucy shifted slightly when he grimaced and spit down the drain. Just like every other time they showered together. He was always spitting soap out. She still wasn't sure how Erik even managed to get it in his mouth in the first place.

"I'm amazing," she said. Her playful smirk was answered with one of his own, and they stayed silent as she went about washing him. The only time there was any space between their bodies was when she washed his chest and stomach.

"Did you already shower?"

"Earlier. It was Netflix binge night." She smiled when his fingers drifted over her waist and around her breasts, up to her jaw. She knew what was coming though. The same thing that happened every other time they were naked around one another. Her head tilted back and she melted into him once his lips met with hers. Erik's kisses were always soft, so gentle as his lips molded to hers. His calloused fingers threaded through her hair, drawing her closer, until she wasn't sure where his breath ended and hers began.

"Can I crash here?"

"Of course." He could always stay at her house. Erik knew that, but she found it endearing that he asked every time instead of just inviting himself over.

"Be my alibi?"

Lucy frowned and pulled back just enough to glare at him. "What did you do?"

"Nothing serious," he said, following her and dropped his mouth to her throat. Delicate nips trailed from her collar to her ear, then back down. "Acnologia broke out. Guys are saying I helped him."

"Did you?" Erik didn't answer. He let out a quiet groan while guiding her to lean back against the tile wall, kissing his way down her chest and pausing at her navel. Lucy gripped his hair and pulled him back, glaring down at him. "Tell me the truth, Erik. You never lie to me. Don't start now."

"Not knowing is better," he said. "Don't get involved."

"Too late."

"He's innocent." He wanted to keep her protected from the truth, and Lucy understood that most times, but she could be just as stubborn as him when she wanted to be.

"Tell me, Erik," she said, slicking back his hair. "You know I'll always keep your secrets."

"I helped him when he busted out, and took him to the others. Gajeel was pissed that I brought him to the Lounge, saying the cops would look there first. That I put Laxus' job on the force in danger because he's still one of us. Ryos took him downtown to Wendy's. He's laying low there."

"But if Acnologia's innocent…" Lucy frowned when he tenderly pulled her hands away and brought his lips to a two-inch scar on her hip that she didn't know the origin of. She shivered when he lightly sucked on the thinner flesh, her gaze never leaving his.

"We did it to protect you," he said, kissing his way to her other hip. "Acnologia never did a thing to Serena. I did."

"You…" Lucy's eyes closed when she felt his fingers inching higher on her thigh, closer to her center, slowing down to tease her even though he knew it wouldn't work, before finally gliding over her sex. "You killed Serena?"

"For you," he said. His fingers pushed into her slowly when her eyes snapped open again, wide and horrified and so confused. His slow strokes pulled no reaction from her. There were no breathy mewls or whimpers of his name. Her eyes didn't roll back, but stayed locked on his face, waiting for him to speak again. She didn't go weak in the knees when his thumb barely touched her clit.

The only way to tell that Lucy enjoyed what he was doing was her body's natural reaction to the increased stimulation. The moisture collecting between her legs, how he could feel her core tighten around his fingers when his thumb brushed across the slowly engorging bundle of nerves with more pressure than he would have used if she'd been anyone else. But her face looked as though nothing was happening, like he was just down on his knees to paint her damn toenails.

"Explain it," Lucy said as he gently kissed the golden curls above her sex. She pushed his hand away and lightly pulled his hair to let him know it was time to get off his knees. He understood it though. She didn't always want his face between her legs. More often than not, Lucy didn't want foreplay at all. Most times, she was much more willing to give him pleasure than to take any for herself.

Once he was standing, his focus was drawn to the light flush on her cheeks when she kissed him again. It took a critical eye to determine whether she was actually enjoying what they did, until he was inside her and ripping pleasured cries from her kiss-swollen lips.

"Be my alibi," he said. "I'll tell you the truth, but if someone comes asking-"

"You were with me all night," she said, smiling with understanding. "We watched The Bullock trifecta."

"28 Days, Demolition Man, and The Proposal," he said with a smirk. She nodded and his arms wrapped around her waist. He gasped when her hand closed around his cock and started slowly stroking him. "Fuck… You don't play fair."

Lucy stretched out her neck and her smile widened as his shaky breaths fanned over her flesh. His hips curled slightly, pushing further into her hand. "I never do," she giggled. "Now, tell me the truth."

Erik groaned as her hand twisted, stroked down to the base and back up. It had surprised him the first time they'd done anything like this, that Lucy knew how to touch him and make him quiver. She wasn't like him, or most other people they knew. She didn't crave a primal, physical connection with another person. He wasn't a sex addict by any stretch of the imagination, but where he would look across a crowded room and think a woman was fuckable, that just didn't happen for the blonde who was in the process of nibbling on his ear and turning his legs to jelly.

"What was the question?" Erik rasped. His forehead knocked against the tile just above her shoulder, and he pressed himself closer to her.

"You said he's innocent." She gently kissed his small golden earring. "Why would you kill Serena?"

Erik's hand slipped down and his fingers brushed over the scar on her hip. She grasped his chin and forced him to look at her, but he couldn't stop the soft groan from slipping out when they kissed again. She wanted to know the truth, and he'd said he would tell her. It wasn't something he liked to think about, and it was definitely something that he knew Lucy had forgotten. The human mind was a weird fucking thing. But if he could get away with it, Erik was going to do as little as possible to remind her of what had happened to her.

Thinking about it would kill the mood, that was for sure.

"He hurt someone I care about," he rasped against her lips. His breath caught when she stroked him with more purpose. "He betrayed the gang's trust." He wasn't going to say that Serena had hurt  _her_. He wasn't going to remind Lucy of being drugged by Acnologia's best friend, one of the founders of The Slayers, and locked in a fucking basement. "God, your fucking hand… Shit, baby…"

He definitely wasn't going to tell Lucy that the reason she had nerve damage between her legs was because of the shit Serena did to her. They'd never seen it coming from the guy. He just didn't seem like the type to go off the fucking deep end like that. If anything, Acnologia or Erik were the most likely of candidates from The Slayers to go batshit crazy.

Erik hated thinking about it at all. He hated the knowledge that he hadn't tortured that bastard for hurting the person who was, as far as they were all concerned, the gang's baby sister. As far as Erik was concerned, she was the love of his life. He had cared about her, loved her, since only a few months after they'd met. Serena deserved much worse than the pummeling and broken neck he'd gotten.

Erik pulled her leg up onto his hip, grinning as her hand slipped away so he could press his hips flush against her center. With each slow thrust, he focused on how it felt to have her lower lips slipping around his rigid cock. Her tongue curled around his as her hands sifted through his hair, leaving no space between them. If she liked having her breasts teased, he would have already been touching them. But after years of being with one another like this, he knew what Lucy liked and didn't like. He especially knew what she was indifferent toward.

Instead, he reached between them and carefully lined himself up, then looked into her half-opened eyes. "Slow tonight?"

Lucy nodded, smiling while watching his single eye drift close as he pushed into her. Was she aroused? Probably, physically. She really couldn't be too sure most times. It was just something she still didn't understand about her body, but she didn't mind it all that much. She cared so much more about watching Erik, feeling his arms around her and his quiet moans vibrating through his chest and clamped lips. She wanted to feel close to him, closer than they were while just sitting on the couch. He wasn't like her, but she did this for him.

And that was something she was perfectly fine with.

"Fuck… You feel amazing!" He could never get enough of kissing her when they were like this. Her neck, shoulders, chin and cheeks and pretty much her whole damn face. Whatever he could reach was his for the taking. His hips angled, and he grinned against her throat when she let out a soft whimper. "Is that it?"

Lucy gasped when he pulled back and slowly, so perfectly slowly, brushed against some spot deep within her that had her fingers tingling. "Yes."

He did it again, and she couldn't stop her hands from grasping at his back, her nails from dragging over his beautiful snake tattoo.

"Right there?" he chuckled, nipping at her flesh.

"God, yes." She'd spent a good portion of her life thinking something like this was pointless. More often than not, sex just didn't matter in the slightest. But that didn't mean Lucy couldn't enjoy the tightening in her belly or how it felt when Erik's hips ground against hers. "That's the spot, Erik."

"If you move like..." A low groan barreled through him when she rolled her hips. "Shit, Lucy…" She'd always been quiet during sex, but he didn't mind it. After almost six years of being together, only feeling her sex spasming around him, her nails digging into his back and arms, her lips brushing across his cheek while she whispered his name so reverently… He knew there wasn't anyone else that could compare. "Just like that," he gasped. "Fuck, I want you so bad!"

She squeaked when he paused to put both arms beneath her legs, spreading them wide as he lifted her higher on the shower wall.

* * *

"Dreyar, you shouldn't be here." Mest slammed the door to his police cruiser and stormed across the snow-covered driveway, past Laxus' motorcycle.

Laxus pushed off from the front door and kept his arms crossed, meeting Mest at the stairs leading to the front porch. "If you're planning on questioning my little sister about Acnologia, then I'm gonna fucking be here, Gryder."

"How do you even know about it?" Mest wasn't quiet while stomping up the steps and kicking the snow from his shoes. "You're off duty, and-"

"And I got a call from the Chief. He said Acnologia slipped outta prison, wanted to know if I knew anything about it."

"I'm not convinced you don't."

Laxus smirked. He really couldn't help it. Having a good bit of height on most members on the police force made him more intimidating. Forcing Mest to look  _up_  while trying to talk down to him was even better. Ever since his partner Lahar died, he'd been more of a hardass. And since Laxus knew that he wasn't exactly the  _nicest_  during simple questioning procedures - Mest treated them all though he was interrogating a serial killer - there was no way in hell he was letting the bastard near Lucy. Not alone. Not without someone there to make him back the fuck off.

Because she didn't know a damn thing about Acnologia getting out, or most of the shit surrounding why he was locked up. She didn't know that Cobra had been the one to kill Serena for drugging, kidnapping, and then torturing her for a week. She'd been a virgin before that had happened (and thankfully, she was still one after), so Lucy didn't know that the nerve damage she'd suffered from was just… not normal. Even for people like her.

Laxus was just a little glad that she'd never been interested in sex. She didn't have to know that something had happened to her.

When he'd asked her psychologist about it - because Laxus had made sure he was with her for the five or so sessions she actually went to - the guy had said that she was blocking it out. Repressing the horrific memory. Maybe it was something in the drug she'd been given (Laxus hadn't told him who the person was to hurt her, since Erik had killed Serena the night they found Lucy), or just the experience that had made her block it out. The doctor has said it would be in her best interest to leave it in the past, and to bring her back to him if she started remembering anything on her own.

Either way, Mest could very well bring up something that might trigger a memory of some sort for her, and that was the last thing Laxus or any of the other Slayers wanted. It was the last thing Acnologia would want, considering he'd willingly taken the blame for Serena's murder to protect Cobra. Acnologia had enough reasons he could make up for the murder, and a reputation that supported it from his time in that outlaw gang up north. Cobra, while probably a little detached from his sanity sometimes, just didn't have the rap sheet like their last leader did.

"Well, if you're questioning my little sister," Laxus said again, "I'm sure as hell gonna be here. You do it by the book. No photos from murder scenes. No bullying her. You ask the questions you need to about Acnologia breaking outta prison, and leave it at that. And if you have reasonable cause to bring her down to the station for more questioning, you run it by the Chief and get a subpoena. It's a high enough profile case, so he'll probably take lead on anything happening in the precinct."

"She's not untouchable just because she's the Chief's granddaughter," Mest said with a scowl.

"I never said she was untouchable," Laxus replied. The two of them being Makarov's grandchildren had nothing to do with this. The old man was a stickler about nepotism.

"You and that whole gang of morons are suspects in this, Dreyar. She's been seen around town wearing a Slayer vest, and everyone knows she's part of it, whether she rides or not."

"I've told you once, and I'll tell you again," Laxus sighed. "Lucy was never initiated. She falls under the gang's protection, but that's it. If something happens that's related to the Slayers, she's not involved in it."

"I still can't believe you're part of that group  _and_  a cop."

Laxus couldn't help but chuckle over that. "Nothing in the law says a cop can't be part of a motorcycle club. And since we're not a one-percent club, I'm definitely in the clear. But c'mon. It's cold as hell out here, and she's probably got cocoa, assuming she's not pissed about being woken up." He turned and motioned for Mest to move to the door first. Mest knocked and waited. When there was no answer, he knocked louder. Before Laxus could tell him to come back at a decent hour, the sound of some sort of glass breaking beyond the door had their full attention. At nearly two in the morning, Lucy should have been in bed. She was asleep at one like clockwork.

A low thud was the next sound to slip out, like a table or chair hitting the floor.

"Laxus-"

He shoved Mest to the side and pulled out his keys, flicking through them quickly until he found the one for Lucy's house. Another thud made him jump and scrape the metal along the deadbolt, and Laxus nearly broke the door down before he finally got it into the lock. With a swift turn of the key, he unlatched the handle and pushed the door open with a bang. He didn't care that Mest was on his heels while rushing into the entryway, around the corner and down the short hall that led to Lucy's living room.

"Fuck, baby… That's it. Ride me like a -  _God,_  yes!"

Mest stepped around Laxus where he'd frozen in place, following his wide cerulean gaze into the living room. A vase was broken on the wooden floor with an overturned end table lying partially behind the couch. By the time he looked up at the occupants on the couch, with Erik holding Lucy by the hips and shifting to pin her, face down, while rocking against her ass, Laxus choked.

"Harder," Lucy moaned softly, turning to meet Erik's lips over her shoulder with her eyes clenched shut. "Erik, I'm almost… Mm!"

"Damn, that's what I wanna hear," Erik groaned, his hips snapping quickly against her and his hands kneading her thighs. "So sexy like this! Fuck, you're squeezing me so fucking  _tight_ now! I… shit... I love you!" Lucy buried her face into the couch cushions, and her back arched erotically. "Oh, I love you, baby... Sexy little -  _ngh_ , yes!"

Mest shook his head and turned back to Laxus. Before he could get a word out, Laxus grabbed him by the face, and dragged him right back out of Lucy's home.

Laxus took a deep breath once the door was closed behind them and the biting wind in the air chilled his burning face. He stared at the snowy footprints on the porch, and only remembered that he was holding Mest's face - and that he couldn't breathe with a palm smooshing his nose - when a sharp kick to the shin broke him out of his daze.

He glared at Mest, and loosened his grip just a little. "Did you see her?"

"Hm? Mm mm-mmph mm mm-mm-mmph!"

"Yes or no, Gryder. Did you see her naked?"

Mest quickly shook his head, his eyes widening as Laxus loomed over him. "Mm-mm!" he mumbled with as much emphasis as possible, gasping once Laxus let him go. He took a deep breath and carefully pinched his nose to make sure it wasn't broken or crooked from the vice grip his face had been caught in. "Dick move, man."

Laxus didn't respond, instead pulling out his phone and looking at his texts. Nothing from the guys, but they probably knew better than to message him right then with Acnologia's whereabouts. They would most likely wait until he went down to the Lounge to tell him in person. Nothing from Lucy either. Definitely nothing from Cobra saying that he would be there balls deep in Laxus' little sister.

It took everything in him not to storm back inside and rip Cobra off of her and beat him into the ground. No one touched Lucy. She didn't want people touching her, and he'd sworn to keep her dignity intact. When she'd told him the truth, when she'd "come out," in a sense, Laxus had promised that he'd do whatever was necessary to make sure she was happy. And if that meant fending off assholes who were only trying to sleep with her when she clearly didn't want to, then so be it.

He'd been under the impression that she just… couldn't do it. Even before Serena had done a thing to her. And afterward, well Laxus had simply considered it a win-win situation. She wouldn't question the nerve damage if she couldn't get turned on in the first place, right? And if she never had sex, then she wouldn't know it wasn't normal to feel… a whole lot of nothing, he'd thought. Apparently, he'd been wrong on that. Because the look on her face in there had been anything but unaffected by Cobra fucking her.

"So, your sister is-"

"You finish that thought, or any other thoughts about her, and I'll punch you in the asshole," Laxus spat. He sent a quick text to Cobra, and an identical one to Lucy, letting them know that he was outside with Mest. And if they would please hurry up, because it was cold as hell outside.

It unnerved him more and more that he could hear Cobra's groans increasing in volume as the minutes ticked by. At least Lucy wasn't a screamer, he guessed.

"I mean, I did see a little side-boob, but-" Mest groaned and dropped to his knees when Laxus' fist connected with his stomach.

* * *

Lucy smiled at Laxus and gave him a short wave once his headlights were on and he'd started backing his motorcycle out of her driveway. Her other hand had a deathly grip on the lapel of her fluffy lime green robe, holding it shut so no one could get even a glimpse of her cleavage. She closed the door and set the deadbolt, then leaned into the familiar chest that pressed in behind her.

"Sorry," Erik sighed into her hair as his arms wrapped around her. "I didn't know anyone came in."

"Me neither," she said, blushing slightly. "But it's time to finish our talk." She could admit that he was definitely good at distracting her from time to time, and Officer Gryder stopping by to ask a few questions about Acnologia's escape really hadn't been all that helpful.

No, she didn't know where Acnologia was at.

No, she hadn't known he'd gotten out of prison at all. She wasn't sure how long he'd been locked up for in the first place, but hadn't it been about six or seven years?

No, she was positive that her brother and The Slayers wouldn't be stupid enough to break Acnologia out of prison. If anything, they'd probably turn him in if he showed up on their doorsteps.

Yes, she knew he was convicted of murder.

Yes, she knew that lying to protect whoever broke Acnologia out would get her arrested.

Yes, she was still sure of all the answers she'd given Officer Gryder.

Yes, Erik had been with her all night. They watched Sandra Bullock movies. Erik doesn't particularly like them, but he humors her desire for funny chick flicks.

Then the same questions, plus a few more, had been tossed Erik's way. Lucy had tuned out when he'd been talking though, because she'd been just a little uncomfortable with the way Laxus was staring at her and Erik. That he knew what they'd been up to. But once the questions were finished, they really didn't have any reason to stick around. And Erik, the lovable goober that he was, blatantly said that Mest and Laxus could get the fuck out so he and Lucy could go to bed.

"Bed first," he said. "I need to get under a blanket and get you in my arms again."

Her small smile widened and a laugh bubbled up within her in an instant. "I'm already in your arms."

"Not horizontally."

"Pervert."

He grinned when she turned to face him fully, pressing her carefully against the door while her pruny fingers glided up and over his bare shoulders. "You know what I mean."

"You mean you're a needy little asshole who loves cuddling, but refuses to let anyone else know that?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Maybe, but I'm  _your_  needy asshole," he chuckled. He didn't mind admitting that. He was hers and there wasn't a damn thing in the world that could change it. Lucy knew how he felt, and even though she didn't really see it that way, they'd gotten through that clusterfuck of miscommunication a few years back in one piece.

It had taken a lot of talking - which really hadn't been his strong suit at the time - to figure out that she just didn't care what it was called between them. Lucy considered them friends with some really wonderful fucking benefits. He felt like it was the two of them against the whole damn world. But she loved him, that much he knew. And in the end, they'd agreed that it didn't matter what it was called, because at the end of the day they were still best friends before anything else. They felt the same about one another, and that was all that mattered.

"Come to bed with me."

She rolled her eyes when he gently pulled on her hands, leading her through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. She hadn't realized until she looked down that he was still naked. And with that, she couldn't help but laugh. Because that definitely explained why Officer Gryder looked so uncomfortable when Erik said he'd walk everyone to the door. He may not have liked anyone but her in his personal bubble, but Lucy had forgotten just how little Erik cared about his dick being seen by other guys. If there had been another woman there, he would have been fully clothed though. According to him, she was the only woman allowed to see him naked. That was just how he was. She definitely didn't mind that.

Once they reached the bedroom, Erik turned and pulled off her robe. His hands slid over her bare hips and waist, then clasped at the small of her back. "Much better."

"I still don't understand this obsession with nudity," she giggled. A squeal, part laughter and part surprise, slipped past her lips when he lifted her and toppled onto the bed so they were lying beside each other.

"You have nice skin," he said with a shrug. They shifted on the bed until they were both lying on the pillows, snuggling beneath the thick blanket and between flannel sheets. "Now, what do you want to know?"

Her eyes closed as he started toying with the mostly dried ends of her hair. "I won't make you go into details," she said softly. She knew that Erik was secretive about a lot of things, and for good reason. He never directly lied to her, but there was a big difference between keeping things from her for her safety, and Lucy asking about those things. If she asked, he'd tell her. But Lucy didn't want to know all the gritty details. She just wanted to understand what had been kept from her concerning Acnologia's arrest.

She already understood that there was a lot about the Slayers that he would never tell her unless she was fully initiated and started riding her own bike. Being a rider didn't interest her in the slightest.

"Good, because I really don't want to," he muttered.

"I know you guys are close though," she said. Her honey eyes drifted open to look at him in the darkened room. She could barely make out his face in the dim orange glow from her nightlight by the door. "No one's ever really told me how the gang started."

"That's not a story for tonight," he said. She pouted, and he chuckled while brushing his nose against hers. "I'll tell you some other time, just not tonight."

"Fine," she sighed. "Can you at least tell me why he would take the fall for you?"

"Because he didn't want me to go to prison."

"But, if you're guilty, then…"

"I've got a clean slate," he said. "He didn't want me or any of the others to get into trouble and ruin our chances of making something of ourselves. That's why he said he was guilty, and that none of us knew about it, to keep the gang as a whole out of the papers over the whole thing."

"Well, Laxus always wanted to be a cop, because of Gramps," she mused.

"And if he'd gotten mixed up in the Serena thing, if it had been anyone but Acnologia that had gotten convicted, Laxus' name would have been dragged through the fucking mud," he said. "He never would've become a cop."

"And all the guys know that he didn't do it?"

Erik nodded. "They all know it was me. None of them would have done something like that to Serena for what he did. Acnologia even tried to stop me."

"Do I want to know why?"

"... No."

A sad smile lifted her lips while her fingers brushed across the stubble on his jaw. "Alright," she said. He was getting tense, which meant the things she was asking were making him uncomfortable. Knowing Erik, that meant she didn't have many questions left before he asked her to drop the whole thing.

"He would've taken the blame for any of us," Erik said. "He already had a record from when he was a teenager. It wasn't anything like murder, but… Well, arson and burglary… Some grand theft and assault. Murder's not that far of a stretch with his record."

"That makes sense, I guess. But he got fifteen years. He threw that away to protect you, Erik."

"He technically only threw away seven years."

"That's not the point, and you know it," she said with a frown. "He cares about you guys, sure, but that's a lot of time…" She cringed when he let out a long breath through his nose. Maybe she'd gotten a little too pushy there. It wasn't her intent to make him feel guilty about the whole thing though.

"You mean to say," he said slowly, "That you don't get why he'd give up his freedom for so long?"

"Well…" Lucy looked into his eye. His hand trailed down from her hair to her back, and the slow, soothing circles he drew along her spine with the tips of his fingers helped to put her at ease. His own way of letting her know that he was making sure he understood what she was asking. "Yeah," she finally said. "I don't get it."

"He's my dad, Lucy."

"Huh?"

"Acnologia's my dad. And I don't mean in the sense that Gajeel and Natsu and the others all called him Pops, or how he was like a Slayer Dad or some shit. I mean, he's my biological father."

"You…" That was  _not_  what she'd been expecting to hear.

Erik chuckled. He was more tense than before. "He gave my mom the boot when I was about a year old. He found out she was popping pills and not taking care of me, so he raised me on his own. Serena helped a bit though. He was always Aunt Serena." She could hear him smiling as he spoke. "Pissed him off so fucking much when I started calling him that. But Acnologia just laughed it off."

"You don't call him dad."

"You're right," Erik said. "Because when he and Serena made The Slayers, there were a few others around at the time. I don't remember their real names. He called them shit like Igneel and Skiadrum. There was even this beautiful woman he called Grandine. Sweet as could be, but she had one hell of a right hook when anyone assumed she was only able to ride bitch. Everyone always called him Acnologia. I was maybe five at the time, hanging out at the Lounge and drawing or something stupid. I heard it so often that I just started calling him that."

"I'm guessing he didn't mind it," she giggled. They'd known each other since she was barely old enough to drink, and not once had he told her any of this. It made her wonder what else she didn't know about Erik.

"Nah, he thought it was pretty funny," he said. "But when I told him I wanted to join, he said I didn't even need to ask. I was part of the group from the start, he told me. All I needed was a nickname."

Lucy snuggled into his embrace, and pressed a gentle kiss to his chest. "Ah, that would be where the Cobra thing came from."

"Damn straight."

"So, because he wanted to take care of his son…"

"My dad took the blame for what I did, and got himself locked in prison," Erik nodded.

"And then you…"

"Did what I had to. Took over for my dad, kept the gang going with a low profile like he asked me to. He told me a couple months back that Igneel and the others had their own chapter started up further south, but I had to keep Natsu and everyone here..."

He honestly did expect Lucy to think this was all too much, to finally pull away from him and say that she couldn't take the partially shady lifestyle he still lived. Even though he'd been raised by Acnologia, had seen the rise and fall of The Slayers, Erik still held it all close to his heart. His old man had never tried to keep his own past hidden. They actually had a shitty little scrapbook with his mugshots and police reports in it that he'd showed Erik on several occasions.

But no matter how many horrible things his father had done before having a kid, Acnologia cleaned his act up. He'd made a biker bar and a biker gang, of sorts. But they didn't go around breaking into places or tearing shit up like some did. That was the life he'd left behind, when he retired from that outlaw gang up north. With a son on the way, Acnologia had found a way to get permission to start his own motorcycle club outside of their territory, but only because he'd sworn it wouldn't be a one-percent club. Only because he'd done something unspeakable to get the hell out while he still could.

Erik didn't want to know what it was his father had done to get away from that old gang. Especially because he just couldn't imagine not being a Slayer. Even with Acnologia gone, he'd kept them going as strong as possible. But things were going to change. Now that he was out of prison, things were going to go back to how they were. Just as soon as they figured out how to keep him out of prison for good.

What it all boiled down to, in his opinion, was that they were good people. The original seven members had their hearts in the right places. And when they'd all had families within a few years of each other, the next generation came about. Except for Serena. He'd never had kids, and said he never wanted them. He'd always said that helping out with Erik was enough for him.

And then that bastard had broken his trust, all of their trust, and hurt Lucy. Natsu and Gajeel had brought in an outsider, and Laxus had fit right in even though he'd been an awkward fucking teenager. The blond had been the first to join outside of the original seven and their kids, and he'd waited a few years before bringing Lucy around even though it was common for members to bring a guest along. Gajeel most often brought his fucking cat just because he could and Pantherlily was the chillest cat in existence. It threw everyone for a loop when they saw the little black kitten sitting comfortably on Gajeel's bike. Erik had brought Macbeth over to the bar the first day they'd met back in kindergarten. Some people brought girlfriends, a friend here and there, whoever they trusted.

Apparently, Serena had taken one look at Lucy and decided she had to… suffer, maybe. It had been hard to tell what he was saying when Erik's hand was around his throat and the others were behind him, trying to pull him off of Serena and yelling at him, and at Serena, and Lucy was mumbling from where she lay in Laxus' arms, still in his line of sight and looking so dazed that it broke his heart to think of what she must have gone through.

If it hadn't been for Erik acting like a moron and throwing Serena's body in the damn river, the cops never would have found out about it. If Acnologia had just used some of his old one-percent contacts to get the job done instead, there never would have been an issue. But Erik hadn't been able to stop himself. Not after he saw her lying in that that cage on the cold basement floor with blue lips, and how she didn't even react when he fell to his hands and knees and crawled like a fucking dog to get to her. Not after he screamed her name, just trying to get her attention, to get her to look at him even once and actually see him. He hadn't been able to stop himself from hurting Serena when his damn eye had been gouged out by that asshole for  _bothering Baby Lucy_.

No one called her shit like that. She was a Slayer Baby Girl. A little sister. Someone they all cared about. Not some twisted fucking torture subject.

Lucy's thumb touched the scar running over his empty socket, and Erik gasped as he was ripped from memories of the past. "Fuck…"

She smiled and moved so she was higher on the pillow and her arm was beneath his head, then pulled him closer. "It's okay, Erik." Her toes dragged over the hair on his leg in slow, random patterns. She didn't even mind it when he crushed her to him, not when she could feel him trembling or his shaky, uneven breaths on the tops of her breasts. "It's okay."

"Do you hate me yet?"

"Never." She kissed the top of his head. "You've got a dad who loves you enough to do that."

"I wanna go see him," Erik said. "Would you-"

"I'll come," she said. "We'll work it out in the morning on how to get down there."

"You have work though…"

"Fuck work," she laughed. "Pops is back. I'm sure he's in desperate need of some Grade-A Lucy snuggles."

"You're gonna make me fucking jealous." Cobra laughed quietly and kissed her bare flesh, pulling the blanket higher over his shoulders so Lucy was covered a little more. "And he might have gotten lots of cuddles in prison."

"He does seem like the type to get a bitch or two." She paused to simply gaze down at what little of his face she could see. "And you're the only one who gets the Grade-X Lucy snuggles."

"You mean the post-fucking naked ones?"

"Precisely."

Erik hummed in contentment while he cuddled closer. He could accept that. "I love you, baby," he said. He usually didn't say it unless they were having sex, and he was sure he'd mumbled it at some point that night already. Maybe multiple times. But Erik just really fucking needed her to know how he felt right then. How he'd felt for way too long before he'd asked her to go see some shitty B-rated horror movie with him the night before Laxus' graduation from the police academy. "So damn much…"

"I love you too, hun."

In moments like that, he knew for a fact she meant it the same way he did. She told everyone she loved them, usually with a bright smile and a little laugh that let everyone know it was purely platonic.

But when he heard it, the sincerity, the depth of emotion from just a few little words, Erik knew she loved him just as much. He'd been planning on coming to visit her that night anyway, just a whole lot more dry and not frozen to the bone from being thrown in the pool. But none of that mattered when they laid in bed together, holding one another. He could take the whole universe head-on with Lucy by his side.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tried doing some research on biker gangs/motorcycle clubs/riding clubs. Some of the information here is accurate, and other parts intentionally are not accurate, and others are unintentionally inaccurate. I don't claim to be an expert. So, for anyone who knows anything about that sort of thing, mistakes based on real-world information are either intentional or me just not knowing, but this is set in a fictional world, so… it doesn't have to be spot-on.
> 
> Important note: This is in regards to reading the rest of this story. There's a difference between Motorcycle Clubs (MC's) and One-Percent clubs ("one-percenters"). You know when you hear the term "biker gang" and you think they're a bunch of hooligans who go around breaking into places and committing crimes and things? Those are considered 1% clubs. There's an old quote concerning this, about how 99% of motorcycle clubs are law-abiding citizens. So the ones who don't do that classify themselves as one-percenters. Not all MC's are like that, so please keep that in mind both in real life and while reading this story. The Slayers are occasionally called a gang, but they're in the 99% who don't commit crimes.
> 
> I will give super-duper thanks to LittlePrincessNana (again) for helping me understand biker terminology and mentality, and sharing her own crazy experiences being around biker bars and things.

 

They woke up just after the sun came up and got dressed slowly, adding extra layers because of the several feet of snow that had fallen the night before. Luckily, Erik kept several sets of clothes at her house for the random nights he stayed over, and Lucy had been given Acnologia's biker jacket to hold onto years ago. Erik's was still at the Lounge, and she had her own leather jacket with a couple minor patches on it that she still wore, so he had to settle for a sweater until he picked his up.

More than likely, Acnologia would be wanting his jacket back, and it would have been disrespectful for Erik to even  _think_  about wearing it. That just meant they would need to stop at the Lounge for Erik to pick his up.

They got in the car and Lucy called Wendy while backing out of her garage. They were pulling around the cul-de-sac by the time she answered. "Mrrhh…?"

"Good morning, Wendy," Lucy said to the tired mumbling greeting. "Do you have work today?"

"Yes," she yawned. "At noon. What do you want?"

"I want to buy you enough breakfast to feed a bear," Lucy chuckled. She frowned when Erik took the phone from her ear and set it to bluetooth so the sound would come through her car speakers. So, maybe she'd forgotten to do that. "Is that alright?"

"... Sure."

"Want me to watch Carla for you today while you're at work?"

Wendy was silent for several long seconds, then she let out a quiet sigh. "Yeah," she said. "If you want to take my  _cat_  to your place, you can do that too. Little asshole's getting stir-crazy and set off my smoke alarm at two in the damn morning."

Erik laughed at the sudden venom in her voice. Wendy never talked like that, unless she was really aggravated. It made him wonder just what his father had been doing while she was keeping an eye on him. "Sounds like you should put it in a kennel," he said.

"Maybe I should."

"Well, we'll bring the food," Lucy said. "I've still got a key to your place, so just stay in bed until we get there."

"Stopping anywhere else?"

"Lounge," Erik said. "I need my jacket."

"I heard Gajeel threw you into a pool last night," Wendy snickered.

"Yeah," he said, narrowing his single eye at the passing scenery. "If he didn't need to start on my tattoo next week, I'd punch him right in the taint for it." They talked for a couple more minutes until Lucy pulled into the parking lot of the Slayer Lounge. Erik gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left Acnologia's jacket in the backseat of the car, then dashed to the side door and put in the code on the keypad lock to get inside.

She waited with the car running and the doors locked for ten minutes - having gotten off the phone with Wendy when she started snoring - before she saw him come walking back out with his leather jacket in his arms. He still had all the patches on it, just like back in the day, and she knew that he still wore it any time he was riding. Or pretty much anywhere. But with where they were going, it wasn't the best idea to draw more attention to himself with that roaring engine pulling up to Wendy's cute little brownstone. Which was why they were taking her car. Lucy unlocked the door and waited for him to get in and buckled up before getting back on the road. Of course, he would have had to take his jacket right back off once he was in the car, so it made sense for Erik not to wear it. Just another of the gang's rules. It wasn't until they were several blocks from the Lounge that he pulled anything out from beneath his jacket.

Namely, a pair of jeans that looked too big to fit him and two shirts, underwear, socks, a toothbrush and comb. Everything he could think of that Acnologia might need, that he hadn't grabbed the night before when Rogue had snuck him out of the Lounge in the first place. They were silent when she stopped at a fast food place and ordered enough breakfast to feed ten men. Acnologia had always been a big eater. Just like all the other Slayers, in all honesty. Even Wendy could put away two large burgers and fries when she wanted to.

She didn't bat an eye over the cost. It was the least she could do, and spending nearly fifty dollars on breakfast wasn't enough to dent her bank account. Then it was on to Wendy's.

"Are you worried?" she asked when they reached a red light. She looked over at Erik to see him staring out the passenger window, peering into the side mirror and checking their surroundings.

"We're not being followed," he said.

"I don't mean about that."

Erik sighed when she lightly grabbed his hand and the car started to move again. Their fingers laced together and he just took a moment to feel the heat in her hands with her gloves off. "Yeah. A little."

"It'll all work out though." She smiled when he frowned her way. She didn't need to look at him to know he was frowning. That was just his usual expression. "We'll find a way."

* * *

Lucy unlocked Wendy's door and went inside with Erik right on her heels as he held the bags of food in his arms. All she was carrying was her purse, but that had been stuffed full of Acnologia's belongings. Her jacket was on, and his much larger one was carefully draped over her arm Erik's jokes about her very own Mary Poppins bag had been pretty funny though. Once inside, she pointed him toward the kitchen and locked the deadbolt, then the chain above it. And the extra lock above that. She didn't blame Wendy for being cautious - even though she was a doctor and lived in a beautiful, quaint neighborhood - because there were some people who knew that she actually did have ties to the Slayers.

One of the many benefits of her tying her hair up and hiding it in her helmet was that no one could tell Wendy was part of their gang. She looked so different with short hair and dark sunglasses on.

Erik walked off to the kitchen and Lucy made her way to the living room. And there Acnologia was, still asleep on the couch with three fuzzy blankets thrown over his hulking body. He still had those pale blue tribal tattoos on his arms and face - not that she'd expected them to disappear. His hair was still the same silver she remembered, but maybe a little longer than it had been before. She could fix that for him if he wanted.

Lucy bit her lip and made her way to the coffee table, setting her purse on the floor and Acnologia's leather jacket on an arm chair. The house reeked of smoke, and she found a half-full pack of cigarettes beside an ashtray on the table. That must have been the reason for Wendy's aggravation with him. She wanted to move closer and wake him up, but she'd heard so many horror stories about people in prison waking up and being aggressive. She really didn't want to get choked out or punched in the vagina.

Those were the only things she could see happening if she touched him while he was still sleeping.

"Why the hell are you staring at me?" Acnologia muttered. His eyes stayed closed and his nose scrunched as he pulled in a short whiff of the air. "And what kind of perfume is that?"

"Rose something or other," Lucy said with a small smile. His eyes snapped open in an instant to stare at her. Maybe he hadn't been expecting her. "Good morning, Pops."

"What the fuck..." Acnologia sat up and watched Lucy's hands wring together nervously for a moment before she came closer. Just by a step. But then he stood and towered over her, just like he used to. "You're wearing your jacket?"

"We all do," she said softly. "Especially Erik. I hardly ever see him without it."

Hers wasn't nearly as covered in patches as the guys' or even Wendy's. She didn't have the top  _Slayers_  rocker that curved around the gang's symbol of a dragon roaring into the air - though she did have the gang's emblem in the center of the back of her jacket - or the bottom Magnolia rocker that marked the gang's territory. She didn't have the MC patch off to the right like the guys that showed they were part of a motorcycle club. But to the left of the dragon emblem was her own patch - she was the only one that Acnologia had given it to, but that was fine with her - that simply had  _SBG_  embroidered on it.  _Slayers Baby Girl_.

On her breast was her honorary road name, Baby Girl. She hadn't been too happy about being called that all the time by the guys - and she was glad that she'd nipped them shortening it to  _Baby_  in the bud as quickly as she had - but when Acnologia had taken her to the side one day and explained it to her, Lucy felt like she really belonged. She was the baby of the group, a younger sister for the gang. They cared about her, wanted to protect her, and even if she never rode a day in her life on a bike of her own, she was one of them. As long as she wanted to be. She wasn't a patched member, not like everyone else, but she was still one of them. And Lucy knew for a fact that there weren't many other clubs that did it quite like Acnologia.

When they were more active, it had meant a whole lot of something. It still did to them. But the few times other biker gangs had come through town, looking for trouble, that patch on her own jacket let them know that she was protected. She wasn't one of the riders, and she wasn't anyone's property or bitch - Acnologia  _hated_  the gangs who used that tradition - but she wasn't an Old Lady, either. At least, she hadn't been back then.

According to Erik, if she wanted it, he'd gladly give her an  _SOL_ patch. One that said she was  _his_  Old Lady. Lucy had sputtered and nearly collapsed from embarrassment for several painfully long minutes that day, five years ago. All he'd done was laugh and tell her that it was up to her.

"Does it still look okay?" she asked.

"It looks perfect," he said. His eyes were still wide as he looked down at her, and it made Lucy feel just a little more exposed. But she'd had enough of the awkward tension, and rushed through the last bit of distance between them, jumping just a little so she could get her arms around his neck. "What-"

His arms wrapped around her so easily, and Lucy sniffled as tears gathered on her lashes. "Welcome back, Pops." Just like that, all she could think about were the long days she'd spent at the Slayer Lounge, how Acnologia had cordoned off a section of the bar just for her so she could work on her university assignments. She couldn't remember how often he'd been the one to come to the rescue for her, whether it was her car breaking down or getting drunk at a party and needing a ride. If it wasn't him coming personally, he'd sent one of the guys. But Lucy had always been able to call Acnologia whenever she needed help.

And now she knew even more. She knew that there was a kinder heart than she'd ever seen before. He'd sacrificed years of his life for Erik to stay out of prison, to keep his record clean.

"Aw," he chuckled. His nose nestled in her hair and he gently rocked her from side to side while her feet dangled in the air, and she hiccupped against his collar. "Don't go crying, Baby Girl."

"But you're back," she said. "A-And… It's been so long. And Laxus said I wasn't allowed to go see you, and..."

"No one was," he sighed. "My orders."

"But why?"

"Less contact the better," he said. "Less chance of anyone suspecting you guys would do something to get me out." He chuckled softly a moment later. "Not that it ever stopped you from sending me those books you wrote."

"D-Did you like them?"

" _Confessions of a Biker Baby.._. I can't believe you had my ass reading raunchy romance novels in prison."

"Sorry…"

"They were worth it," he said, grinning when he heard her quiet, teary laugh. "Couple guys tried to give me shit about it, but that picture on the back cover of you in your jacket shut them up pretty damn fast. And telling them that you're my Baby Girl."

"You didn't."

"I did," he smirked. "Even though I didn't have to. You dedicated the first fucking book to me."

Lucy smiled and squeezed him tighter than before. "For Acnologia," she said, "The most badass Slayer. And the oldest."

"Asshole," he snorted. "You couldn't just leave that part out, huh?"

"No way."

"I'll go wake up Wendy," Erik called as he walked past. He didn't even look at Acnologia, and when Lucy saw the decidedly cold shoulder he was giving off, her lips pursed and her brows drew together.

"Erik," she said slowly. Acnologia blinked in surprise when Erik stopped dead in his tracks. He looked back down to Lucy, still wrapped up in his arms and hanging in the air. "Be nice."

He sighed and turned just enough to see his father out of the corner of his eye. "Morning, Acnologia," he muttered before walking off down the hall.

Lucy rolled her eyes with a soft smile. "So-"

"What the fuck?"

"Huh?"

"What the fuck?" Acnologia asked again. "How the hell did you… I'm missing something." He finally set her down and took a seat on the couch after pushing the blankets out of the way for her to sit beside him.

"Not really," she said, wiping her eyes. "He's being an asshole like usual. It's my job to keep that to a minimum." Once she realized what she'd said, Lucy froze. Her gaze slowly drifted toward Acnologia and he raised a brow. His lips curled into a slow smirk.

"Is that so…"

"Um… So, how was prison?" she asked a little too loudly.

"Don't go changing the subject, Baby Girl…"

"Did you find a nice bitch?" she asked far too quickly. Her voice was too high pitched. She knew it was obvious, but that didn't mean she had to acknowledge it. "Maybe two? A whole gaggle of bitches? You look like you've been eating well, so that's good. Erik and I got some breakfast, so I hope you're hungry for some greasy food! I made sure to get your favorite, and there's some orange juice too because I bet you weren't getting all the vitamins you really needed while you were locked up, and… And wow, your hair has gotten so long now! Do you want me to trim it for you, or-"

Acnologia laughed as he watched her cheeks flush with embarrassment. It was the longest and loudest that he'd laughed in a good long while. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her into his side, then gently squeezed her. "No questions," he said. "You got it."

Wendy stumbled out of the hallway with her long blue hair in a messy bun that hung mostly off to one side. "Cobra, shut up. It's too early…"

"Fuck no, I won't shut up," he growled.

"I told you," Wendy yawned. "No one called and no one came looking here. I'm a  _doctor_. If anyone's gonna come asking questions, they'll come to my office."

"I just have to make sure."

"Erik," Lucy squeaked, drawing his attention to how Acnologia was still holding onto her and laughing. "Come hug him or something. I broke him! I didn't mean to!"

He blinked slowly while listening to Wendy pour her first cup of black coffee for the day, then his gaze locked onto his father's. "Let go of her."

Acnologia paused and cocked his head to the side, his smile widening further than before. "Oh?" he chuckled. "How come?"

Erik's arms crossed over his chest and his gaze shifted to Lucy. He'd promised her when they first started doing anything that he wouldn't say a word about their private life. She'd explained that it was easier if people just didn't know about it. She didn't want tons of questions about how she could "be with him" while still being the way she was. Granted, Laxus had found out the night before, but that had been an accident. He'd made her a promise, and he wasn't going to break it.

It wasn't like people needed to know about their personal lives anyway.

Lucy rolled her eyes when she saw the tension rising in Erik's shoulders and pursed lips. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't too big of a deal for people to know by that point. At least, not Acnologia and Wendy. Or any of the guys, for that matter. They were family. She wouldn't get hounded for answers by any of them. At least, she hoped that she wouldn't.

"Because you're hanging all over my…" He paused, still looking at her. They had never tried to name it. They'd never wanted to. He was honestly lost on this one.

"Your… what?" Acnologia's smirk widened slightly at the way Erik shifted from one foot to the other.

Lucy bit her lips to fight back a bashful smile. She could tell he wasn't going to say anything, so she said it for him. "His Old Lady." They'd been together, in a sense, for six years. She figured it was alright to call it that by then. It wasn't like she was really looking anywhere else. She'd never wanted to. And she already knew that Erik would have proposed by then if he thought she would let him. Or that she would say yes.

Which, when she thought about it, maybe she would. Maybe.

But with the way Erik's life was, there really wasn't any point in saying she was his girlfriend. She wasn't raised in this life, but for nearly a decade the gang had been a large part of life for her. And she knew for a fact that saying she was more than just some girlfriend was a big fucking deal.

A huge one.

She was fine with that.

"Old Lady," Acnologia said slowly. His arm slipped away from her shoulders and he looked down at Lucy's flushed cheeks before his attention returned to Erik, only to find his son staring at Lucy with a wide eye and his mouth hanging open.

"Yep," Lucy said. "Six years now."

"It's about time you admitted it," Wendy said before taking a sip of her coffee. "Everyone but Laxus saw all that sexual tension from you guys keeping it a secret."

"We don't have sexual tension," Erik growled, rounding on her.

"Call it what you want. You wanna bang her all the time."

"That's not the fucking point," he spat.

Acnologia snorted and shook his head as Erik and Wendy started arguing with one another. He could still remember the days when she'd been nothing more than a shy little slip of a kid hiding behind Grandine's white leather pants. All the kids had grown up, it seemed. Lucy definitely had. He was just glad that she hadn't let the shit Serena had done affect her. She was still able to be a normal girl. And the fact that Erik had snagged a beautiful woman like her… Well, he was definitely proud of his son for that one.

He was more than happy to slide down on the couch when Erik came to sit on her other side. And when his son's pinky discreetly wrapped around hers while they stuffed their faces full of greasy, delicious egg and sausage muffins and hashbrowns, Acnologia knew it was a long-haul kind of thing between them. Maybe if the gang had still been going as strong as it had before, they would have already been married. Maybe he would have been able to convince them to get married, so he could see her riding on the back of Erik's motorcycle.

He wondered if they ever rode around together, like he'd done with Erik's mother all those years ago.

"When am I getting grandbabies?" he asked. Erik choked on his food. Then again, Acnologia had been waiting until his son took an overly large bite to ask that.

"We're not there yet," Lucy giggled.

"Yet, she says," Acnologia chuckled. He waggled his eyebrows at his red-faced son. "You hear that, Cobra? No grandbabies  _yet_. Soon though. Lots of little ones. Picture them on their little trikes, Cobra." Lucy started pounding a hand on Erik's back while Wendy sat by and watched. What a wonderful doctor she'd grown up to be.

"Hit him harder," Wendy said. "He's still coughing."

"Assholes," Erik croaked. "All of you…"

"Keep going, Lucy," she said with a smirk. "He's still  _breathing_."

Acnologia grinned as he took a bite of his food. Their fucked up family hadn't changed all that much in the time he'd been gone. Wendy had definitely gotten funnier. And he was more than supportive of having another person willing to tease the hell out of his son on occasion.

* * *

Acnologia was surprised to find out that Erik had kept the apartment above the bar. He was surprised that the bar was still running in the first place. There was one big difference though. New locks had been put in place to separate the main floor from the basement, that had become the place for them to hold club meetings.

The only way to get down to the basement was with a key card, and the only people who had them were the initiated Slayers. Not even Lucy could go down unless a rider let her in.

The rest of the bar was run by a woman named Sorano and her business partner, Richard. They were friends of Erik's, and that was all he needed to know. They kept the business coming in, and revenue in the black. Most of the clientele was other bikers. There wasn't a new gang that tried to take over their territory, but some nomads had settled down and made the bar their go-to place for drinks. Every once in a while, there were some other gangs that rode through, but Erik and the boys made sure nothing ever got out of hand. They made their presence known when people even looked like they would make trouble, and that usually stopped it before it could begin.

The basement had been extended, that much he'd seen the night before when he'd been there for less than twenty minutes. But once they'd arrived back at Lucy's house, with her dropping Erik off at the Lounge to cold-proof his bike and ride over, she'd taken Acnologia to the room that he was going to stay in. She pulled out a scrapbook she'd been keeping of all the changes that had been made at the Lounge.

A bar had been added in the basement, and Macbeth was usually the one behind the counter. He'd forgone having a jacket or vest, since he didn't want to be part of the gang. He apparently just liked tending the bar and hanging out with the guys, and that was fine with Acnologia. Pool tables were now in the main bar and downstairs. The color scheme had changed a bit, with everything done in black, blue, grey, and white downstairs. He didn't understand the white, but Lucy just shrugged it off. She hadn't picked it, and said it wasn't her place to question anything about the design. The upstairs still looked like an old school bar with years of memorabilia hung on the walls, pictures of the original seven Slayers, and even more of the next generation growing up with their own motorcycles.

Lucy told him that Serena had been crossed out of every picture he'd been in with a red X by Erik. Acnologia definitely approved of that. It was something she hadn't understood - and it wasn't one of the better known traditions of biker gangs - but any other biker who came in and saw those red marks knew that the person who'd been removed had been killed by one of their own for betraying them.

His first home-cooked meal in seven years was everything he could have hoped for. Grilled cheese and a salad. Lucy was adamant about taking care of him, letting him relax and get used to everything again, and before he could even say something about how she should be the one relaxing, he'd very wisely been told by his son to keep his mouth shut and let her baby him. Apparently, that was what she did. Not all the time, but he could see a good number of reasons why Erik had wanted to be with her. When Lucy was happy, she pampered people. When she was upset, she pampered people she really cared about. And she baked.

Lucy was a whole lot more intimidating than he remembered her being when she said that he was going to eat something healthy to counteract the greasy goodness he'd had for breakfast. Anything was better than soup sandwiches made from ramen and questionable bologna.

"You're spoiling me, Baby Girl," he said when she took his empty plate away and started washing dishes. "I'm a grown man. I can clean up after myself."

"And I fully expect you to do just that," she laughed. "But not today. And no smoking inside, Pops." Her hand dripped bubbles over the counter when she pointed to the door leading out of her kitchen and onto the back porch. She didn't even have to look at him to know he was reaching for the pack he'd set on the table. "You go out back and smoke there. I have a fence, so the neighbors can't see you. And close the door all the way. I don't want smoke getting inside."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled.

"Don't worry, I get the same lecture," Erik said while carrying his boots to the back door. "It's best to leave your shoes here. Or get some slippers. You track dirt in and she whips out the fucking toothbrush so you can clean the grout like this is Full Metal Jacket or some shit."

Acnologia rolled his eyes and grabbed his own boots from the front entryway, then carried them through the house. It was spotless, and he wasn't going to be the one to make a mess in Lucy's house. She had a temper from what he remembered. Now that she was older, it was probably worse. Once he and Erik were outside, sitting on a pair of black wicker chairs with pale green cushions, he quickly lit up a cigarette. Then watched as his son did the same. "When did you start smoking?"

"When I started dreaming about Serena not being dead enough." Erik took a drag and exhaled through his nose. "Lucy hates the smell."

"It's a shitty habit."

"Says the one who's always smoked."

"I never said I was a good role model."

Erik took another drag and stared at the snow-covered backyard for several long seconds. He took in the familiar cherry oak planks of the fence, the woods just beyond the back border, the looming oak whose branches were bare and spindling. "You were great," he said. "You raised me to be able to function in society, no matter what I chose to do."

"And you're in a fucking gang. Great parenting."

"You went to prison for me," he said with a scowl. "Name someone who would do that for their fucking kid. Not just someone who says  _I'd do anything for my widdle baby_ , but actually fucking goes through with it. You did that for me…"

Acnologia's hand came to rest on Erik's shoulder and he gently squeezed in reassurance. "Because we all saw you that day," he said. "You lost it over what he did."

"That son of a bitch betrayed all of us," Erik spat. "He took that brotherhood that he was always preaching about, chopped its head off and shit down its fucking throat."

"I know…"

"She doesn't know."

Acnologia paused in bringing his cigarette to his lips, then stared at Erik. "What do you mean, she doesn't know?"

"She doesn't remember," he said. "I don't wanna know how or why, but she doesn't remember any of it. Not the drugs or whatever he did. Not that fucking cage. None of it."

"She should know-"

"No," Erik said. He watched his breath puff out in a silvery cloud before his face. "She's happy like this. Not knowing is a lot fucking better than remembering what he did to her."

Acnologia was silent, simply staring at his son who had barely aged in the last seven years. He looked a little older, sure, and his tan was darker from riding in the sun all the time. But when he looked at Erik, he could still see the little boy who'd begged to sit on his motorcycle when he was only three years old. He could still hear Lucy washing dishes inside, the soft clink of ceramic on the metal basin broken up only by Erik's nicotine-filled breaths. The barely there crackle of burning tobacco followed by a sharp inhale. A slow, smoky exhale. Flicking the ashes. Repeating.

"Are you really okay with lying to her?" he finally asked. Acnologia crushed his cigarette and lit another. He was going to fucking need it with how the conversation was going.

"I have to be." Moments later, Erik did the same. "She's never brought it up, and she tells me everything."

"Erik…"

"Don't," he said. "Do you even know what he did? What we found out after you went to prison?"

"No. Regardless of what he did, she has a right to know. I won't budge on that one."

Erik looked back toward the house. He set his cigarette in the ashtray, then made his way to the door. "Baby," he said once it was open and his head peeked inside.

"Hm?" Lucy turned from the draining sink with her wet hands paused as they reached for a towel.

"Club shit," he said. "We'll be a while."

Lucy smiled while drying her hands. "You got it. I'll go vacuum. And I'll put some gloves by the door if you need them."

"You're the best," he chuckled. He closed the door and took his seat again, then set his attention on Acnologia. His smile melted away.

"She knows not to listen in," Acnologia said. "That's good."

"Lucy's been around long enough to know that it's better she doesn't hear everything the club does. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"True, but you could've been a jackass about it." Acnologia smirked and ruffled Erik's hair. "Good to see you picked up a couple fucking manners. The TV is actually good for something."

Erik chuckled, but his humor was short-lived when he thought about what he was about to say. "I'm gonna tell you the truth," he said. "It's personal for her, but all the guys know about it. She hasn't told them, and she doesn't think they know, but…"

"They were there."

"Yeah."

"So, what is it?"

Erik sighed, tossing the burnt butt into the ashtray, then leaned back with a frown. "Wendy knows the more technical side of it, but… Serena… Whatever he did to her…" He was more than thankful that Acnologia didn't try to interrupt him while he gathered his thoughts. "She lost almost all feeling between her… her legs."

"... What?"

"She can't feel a fucking thing," he said softly. "Not really… I mean, there's  _some_  feeling there, but… She thinks it's normal, Dad."

Acnologia's eyes widened at the sudden name-change. He hadn't been  _Dad_ for years. Only when it was something really important. Only when his son needed him to really be a father. Usually to listen. Sometimes for advice. Always as someone to lean on. "How the hell does she think it's normal?"

"Because Lucy never  _touched_  herself before then. She'd never been turned on or anything remotely close to it, from what she told me."

"How would she know though? If she doesn't remember what Serena did-"

"Because the first time I fingered her, she told me. She'd never done it. Any of it. She said I was the only person to touch her like that, and she just assumed that's how it feels. Either for everyone, or only for her because she's asexual, whatever. Lucy thinks it's normal."

"How is she asexual and still your Old Lady?"

Erik gave him a bland stare in response. "Really?"

"What?" Acnologia asked, shifting back a little in his seat. "I'm curious. I still don't even know what the fuck that asexual, b-sexual, pan-demi-frog-sexual… whatever the fuck it is… even means, so… Give a guy a fucking break."

"It's really not that hard."

"Then enlighten my old ass," Acnologia smirked. "In prison, there's fucking and getting fucked. It was pretty straightforward. No one talked about whether it was gay or straight or anything else. There's a dick and a hole. End of story."

"Did you fuck a dude?"

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?"

"Considering Macbeth is as gay as they come and he's been my friend for years, it doesn't bother me either way."

"Yes. Some pretty-boy named Rufus. He's got an eidetic memory, used it to memorize people's information while doing data entry for some life insurance place. You fill in the blanks."

"You fucked a pretty-boy."

"I can't fuck a pretty-boy?" Acnologia chuckled. "He came to me looking for protection. Big biker murders his best friend, that's the kind of guy you want on your side. We traded. Protection for him, and someone to keep me company."

"I just can't see you wanting a pretty-boy…" Well, Erik couldn't see his dad wanting to be with any man. But that really wasn't the point. If he  _had_  to picture a guy Acnologia might be interested in, it would probably be someone like Laxus or Gajeel. Someone a lot like him - huge, muscled out the fucking wazoo, rough and tough. Not someone smaller than him.

"If Macbeth was into older men and didn't wear more lipstick than a two-bit hooker, I'd have hit on him too." Erik's jaw dropped and Acnologia simply shrugged. "I fuck who I want. Doesn't matter what the equipment is, as long as they're old enough and want to get fucked."

It took a moment for him to process this new information about his father. Aside from the fact that he'd admitted to thinking Macbeth was fuckable - Erik could admit, he was damn pretty - he'd never considered that his own father would be into men. Or anyone, really. Acnologia hadn't bothered with women since leaving his mother up north with that outlaw gang he'd gotten out of. At least, Erik had  _thought_  he hadn't bothered with a relationship. Maybe he'd been wrong about that.

"But you were enlightening me," Acnologia chuckled.

Erik shook his head quickly. He just needed to reset his damn brain, apparently. "Lucy's asexual," he said.

"And that means…"

"She doesn't feel sexual attraction."

"But you two fuck."

"Yes."

"How?"

"I stick my dick inside of her and flail around like an epileptic chicken on six bumps of fucking cocaine for three to five minutes," Erik said. "How the fuck do you  _think_  we fuck?"

"Apparently not like normal people," Acnologia muttered. His eyes narrowed when Erik punched him in the arm.

"She doesn't think of sex like you or me," he said. "She can get turned on - it takes some work, but it happens - and she can have an orgasm and everything in between."

"She just… doesn't…  _want_  sex? Or…"

Erik sighed while leaning back in his chair, running a hand down his face. He was, by no means, an expert on Lucy's sexuality. He only knew what she told him, and what they'd figured out together on their own. She was still learning about herself as it was. He hadn't a clue where she fell on that spectrum she'd told him about. He didn't know the ins and outs of everything about it. He knew the important things though. He knew what applied to  _her_  own situation. Fuck everyone else and how they experienced their own sexuality with the same damn name.

Erik didn't give a shit about them. Just Lucy.

"She wants it in the sense that, because it's something I want, she'll do it."

"That sounds selfish as hell."

"She gets orgasms out of it," he deadpanned. "Trust me, I said the same fucking thing. And do you know what she told me?"

"No," Acnologia said. "I'm so fucking confused right now."

"She said, for her, it's no different than us cuddling up on the couch and watching a chick flick."

"That doesn't really bode well for your skills, Cobra," he chuckled.

"No, I mean she likes those movies and I don't really care about them," Erik said. "Some chick flicks are alright, but I could go the rest of my life never watching another one, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I watch them with her to spend time together, and because she wants to do it. Sex is the same for her."

"You could just watch some horror movie," he said.

"She loves horror movies."

"Action."

"We do," Erik said. "And if Lucy is doing something for me that she really doesn't enjoy - like watching some stupid Keanu Reeves movie or some shit - I don't even  _think_  about bringing up sex. Or anything close to it."

"What the fuck, Cobra?" Acnologia whispered. "You have the-"

"If you say my relationship with her is weird, I'll kick your ass," he said with his eye narrowed and dangerous. "I'm closer to her than any skank I banged before meeting her. Because we do a whole lot more than just fuck constantly. Because she doesn't always want to, so I respect that about her and we do something else."

Acnologia's jaw snapped shut and he simply stared at his son. His hand flew up a moment later and popped him right in the back of the head, earning him a hard glare. "I taught you better than that. Don't call women  _skanks_ or anything close to it."

"They were, asshole."

"Doesn't matter," he said. "Don't be a disrespectful little shit." The fact that he was able to watch his thirty-year-old son start pouting was definitely a sight to behold. He'd definitely missed that petulant lower lip and how his arms crossed over his chest. "But on the Serena thing…" Erik looked over at him again. "I still don't understand what all this has to do with that."

"Well-"

"But," Acnologia said, putting a hand up to stop him from speaking. "You're her Old Man. I'll respect it, and not say a word."

"Just don't talk about him in general. We put a club-wide gag order on anything to do with him."

Acnologia nodded his agreement. "Got it. That really won't be difficult. I don't like thinking about him in general."

"Good, because if someone brings that shit up and makes her remember anything, I'm calling up a friend of mine to handle it."

"Erik…"

He scowled at the snow that started falling, then lit up another cigarette. "This is fucking serious, Dad," he said. "I don't want her to have a mental breakdown or some shit because someone made her remember what she's better off forgetting. You've been gone for a long time, and I took over for you until you came back. No matter what, that's the one thing I refuse to change. You don't have to deal with them at all. I'll make the call myself if it happens."

"Who the hell agreed to something like that?"

"... You don't wanna know."

"Erik, you'd better fucking tell me." And all at once, he looked guilty. One of the few times that his boy was an open book was when he pulled out the  _Dad_  voice. "More than being the fucking founder, I'm your goddamn father. So you tell me who you got involved in this shit."

"He doesn't know any details," he said softly. "Just that I might call him in the future if I need a favor."

"And  _who_  is the favor coming from?"

"..."

"Tell me."

Cobra crushed his half-finished cigarette and stood, then started pacing back and forth. "I found your old address book," he said. "Called up someone from a branch of Spriggan."

"You fucking didn't," Acnologia growled. "Who the hell did you talk to?"

"Mard Geer."

"Oh, sure, just call the closest chapter and say  _I'm Acnologia's kid and I know he swore to never tell anyone about a fucking thing, but he told me enough for me to be able to fucking find you_ -"

"Dad, it's not like-"

"You shut the fuck up, kid." He stood and grabbed Erik by the shoulders, looming over him. "What did you say? What did you fucking tell Mard Geer?"

Erik's eye was wide as he was shaken and Acnologia's fingers dug painfully into his shoulders, hard enough that he could feel them easily through his leather jacket. "I-I said that I knew they were a one-percent chapter, and that we weren't," he whispered. "I said… We might have a problem that needed their expertise, but it wasn't anything to worry about yet. I just… I asked for a favor, just in case…"

"You don't just  _ask_  these guys for a goddamn favor and they say yes!"

"Let up," he said. "That shit hurts."

"I know I fucking taught you better than to  _ever_  call them. No matter what the fucking problem was, you  _never_  fucking call people like that! You know that!"

"Dad-"

"What did he want?" He shook Erik harder while pushing him until they were against the railing. "What the fuck did he want from you?"

"Dad, stop!"

"Tell me what he fucking wanted! What did you have to give him? What did you promise him?!"

"Fuck, I'm sorry!"

The back door flew open and Lucy rushed out onto the porch. Rules of the club aside, she had to break them up. She knew that it wasn't her business, that she wasn't supposed to butt in even if they were arguing, but doing that shit outside could get her neighbors' attention, and if they called the cops, that was it. "Cut it out!"

"Dad, you're hurting me! Stop!"

Lucy forced herself between them with her back against Acnologia and her hands desperately trying to pry his iron grip from Erik's shoulders. "I said stop!"

Acnologia snarled over her head and glared down at his son, but his grip didn't loosen. "You don't know what those people do," he spat. "What they're capable of. Why the fuck would you think it's okay to call the-" His breath left on a wheeze when Lucy's elbow connected with his stomach, but he didn't let go. Not until she reached down and got a handful of his dick and balls, and twisted. Pain soared through him so quickly he felt like vomiting, but Acnologia's grip on Erik slipped. She let go and he fell to his knees, holding himself and curling up on the cold wooden porch.

Lucy turned and pressed her hands to Erik's cold cheeks, looking up into his wide, horror-filled eye. "Hun, talk to me," she said gently. "What happened?"

"N-Nothing," he said. Before she could push any further, he crushed her to his chest and buried his nose in her hair. "It's nothing, okay? Just… I-I can't..."

"Okay," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her hand shifted beneath his jacket and ran back and forth over his back. "I'm here, okay? I won't ask."

"You stupid motherfucker," Acnologia snarled, and his burning glare lifted from the ground to his son. And then he stopped when he saw how Erik's eye was clamped shut. If he looked close enough he could see the way Lucy gently rocked from one side to the other and made it seem as though Erik was the one doing it.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm right here."

"Don't baby him," Acnologia coughed. He was more than surprised to find her eyes snapping open and locking onto him.

"Pops, I love you," she said. "But shut the hell up."

"Don't talk to him that way," Erik whimpered. "Baby, come on…"

"No. He doesn't get to just come in here and treat you like you're in the prison yard and you stole his stupid toilet paper! He doesn't get to hurt you over something stupid."

"Pretty sure my genius fucking kid here calling up my old one-percent gang and asking for a goddamn favor earned him a few good whacks," Acnologia said with a sneer.

"Erik-"

"Don't talk about it," he said, glaring at his father. "You swore."

"Oh, I won't. But how about I give you a goddamn lesson, kid? You wanna know what you got yourself into by asking for something from them?"

"They haven't done anything for us," Erik said.

Acnologia groaned while standing. He made sure he was gentle while pulling Lucy away from Erik, and once she was out of the way, his hand fisted in his son's hair and he dragged him right back inside. Wet boots and all, he didn't give a shit right then. He didn't care about Lucy yelling at him while slamming the door and locking it as he came to a stop in the kitchen and threw Erik on the ground.

"Erik!" Lucy pushed past Acnologia and came to kneel on the floor, helping him sit up.

"I said I was sorry!" Erik shouted.

"No, kid. You don't know what sorry is." Acnologia pulled his jacket off and dropped it onto the kitchen table, revealing the pale blue tattoos dancing their way down his arms. "Sorry is how you feel when you're a stupid fucking kid who thinks his shit doesn't stink, and you learn the hard way that it does."

Lucy's eyes widened when Acnologia pulled his shirt off over his head and took a step closer to them. More blue tattoos were visible along his chest and ribs.

"Sorry is joining those fucking Spriggan assholes, and willingly doing their initiation, because you're so fucking  _desperate_  to get patched and just fucking  _belong_ , then realizing just what the fuck they convinced you to do." His hand was gentle when he bent and pulled the hair tie off Lucy's wrist. She and Erik watched in silence while Acnologia stood and tied his hair up and away from his face, then wrapped it in a bun. "Sorry," he snarled, "Is burning down every orphanage in the area after locking the kids and nuns inside, watching it burn to the ground, hearing them fucking scream…"

Erik's stomach turned the longer he looked into Acnologia's eyes.

"Sorry is being branded with a blue fire for every building you torched, and having to remember all six-hundred and forty-nine  _children_  and the twenty-seven innocent women you murdered, just to be part of a biker gang. And having to look in the mirror every fucking day and see the proof of what you did, right there, staring back at you!"

They stayed completely still when he stood and kicked off his boots. He turned, revealing his back to the couple on the floor and the spiraling tribal fire tattoos along his ribs and hips and up into his hairline. He grabbed his shirt and jacket, then made his way out of the kitchen. He paused in the archway leading to Lucy's living room and looked down at them.

"Sorry is realizing that you're gonna bring a kid into the world, and that everything you've ever done is disgusting and wrong. It's knowing that you have to change things, to protect him from the world you grew up in. So, no you don't know what fucking  _sorry_  is, son. But I sure fucking do."

"Dad…"

"Don't. I'm gonna get a shower, and then I'll call up Mard Geer and deal with this clusterfuck you made. I don't care what you promised him, and I don't give a fuck if it hurts our reputation. We never deal with Spriggans." Erik nodded. "Swear it," Acnologia growled. "You swear it to me right now, son. We're Slayers, and the only ones we can rely on are who?"

"Our brothers and sisters…"

"Swear."

Lucy stayed right where she was while Erik slowly stood and squared his shoulders. She really didn't know what else to do aside from watch.

"I swear, Dad. I'll never make a deal with Spriggans. With any one percenter. I-I'll rely on my brothers and sisters, and…" He stopped talking when Acnologia turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. His single indigo eye lowered to the floor. "I swear, I won't do fuck up again."

Acnologia pulled him into a one-armed hug and gently kissed the top of his head. His lips curved into a small, tender smile when Erik hesitated in hugging him back but eventually gave in. He heard the quiet sniffle that came from his boy though. Always trying to be a man about things. "I'll handle it, okay? You leave it all to me."

Erik nodded and stood in the same place as Acnologia walked down the hall toward the bathroom. He didn't move more than necessary when Lucy carefully eased his boots off, or when she stood and pulled his hands and led him to the couch. She said nothing while grabbing a tissue and blotting at the tears on his cheek, brushing his hair back from his face and kissing his temple. She held his hand and laid her head on the back cushion beside him, but she was silent.

"I'm so fucking stupid," he said. Because even though he'd been able to feel Acnologia's fury leaking from his pores and in the forming hand-shaped bruises on his arms, there was something he'd never seen before. Genuine fear. His father wasn't afraid of anyone or anything. But Erik knew he saw it. He was scared of the Spriggans. Scared of what Erik might have promised them in exchange for the favor. Based on the things he'd learned about his father's initiation into that gang years ago, he understood it. Erik really didn't want to know what they'd made him do when he wanted to retire.

"It'll be okay," Lucy said. "It'll all work out, alright?"

He turned on the couch and pulled both of her hands into his lap, lacing their fingers together. "Baby... I'm sorry for being so fucking stupid."

"You're not stupid, hun."

"I am…"

"You made a mistake."

"One that could've gotten someone fucking killed."

"Y'know," she said gently. "You told me a few years back that you weren't ready to run the gang, but you took over for Pops. The gang was his, and you had to keep it going. That's what you said."

"So?"

"You weren't ready. You did what you could and you tried to do the right thing. The gang's still together though, and that's what matters. And I've been with you through every shitty night where you can't sleep, through it all."

"You have."

"Because I love you," she whispered with a small smile. "And I think you're doing a great job keeping it together. And if you want to give the reins back to Pops when it's safe, then go ahead. You've got my support one way or another."

He sighed while she dabbed at the fresh tears on his cheek. "You're too fucking good to me."

"Nah, I think I'm just right," she giggled. "Now get your snuggles before your  _dad_  comes back out here and catches us being all lovey-dovey and gross." Her smile widened when she heard Erik's watery chuckle and he leaned forward to press his lips to hers.

"Too late," Acnologia said. He grinned when they pulled apart and stared at him in horror. "God you two really are adorable, just like Wendy said."

"She never said that," Erik scowled.

"Oh, not while you were there. She told me you two were together last night. I bet her twenty bucks I could get you to admit it."

Lucy gaped at him, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling when he laughed while walking back down the hallway toward the running shower. She shook her head and turned back to Erik to find his face in his palms while he muttered curses under his breath. Things were definitely going to get interesting now that Acnologia was back, that was for sure.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A couple notes. And by a couple, I mean six...
> 
> 1\. Lucy is asexual. I went into this knowing that I wanted to make her asexual. She's somewhere on the spectrum, and I'm fine with not trying to define it fully. I'm pretty sure there are enough hints throughout without blatantly labelling her as asexual, because that's something that I really try to avoid in my writing. Unless it's crucial to say "Character X is gay/ace/demi/whatever," you'd better believe I'll avoid telling you that's what they are. I'd rather show you through the actions and narration, if that makes sense. And if you don't view Lucy as ace from what's in this story, then fine. My intention was to write about an ace character in a relationship, but different strokes for different folks.
> 
> 2\. Lucy is not aromantic, unless you want her to be. I posted some questions about this story on tumblr with the aspect of Lucy's asexuality to make sure I was representing the ace-community to the best of my ability. I got a couple questions from the information I provided there about whether she's also aromantic because of her refusal to say she and Cobra are dating. I don't see it that way, but you're welcome to see it like that if it's accurate and that's your own interpretation on her character. I see it as more of her just not caring a whole lot about them being labelled as an official couple. I didn't want to get into the whole aromantic thing with this story, because I haven't done enough research on it to really understand it. I have a very basic understanding, but that's not nearly enough for me to write a character who's aromantic and say with any certainty that it was my intention.
> 
> 3\. This story may become a longer thing. I thought about it, and I really like this AU. Part of it is inspired by the "Papalogia" AU by Eien (aka papalogia as her FFnet/tumblr name), where the Slayer kids are raised by Acnologia in canon-present Earthland and so on. My AU has obviously diverged from that, considering he only raised Cobra and this is a modern AU, but that was the starting place for my inspiration with this story. Credit where it's due, and all that.
> 
> 4\. I totally HC Cobra being Acnologia's biological son now. I don't know where it came from, but their darker skin just made me like, "Why not?" I know God Serena's hair is "orange" and fan art sometimes shows it as something closer to Cobra's, but whatever. He's Acno's baby boy now. I also HC Gajeel being Acnologia's son in other AUs in my brain… so keep that in mind. Gajeel isn't Acnologia's son in this AU though.
> 
> 5\. The trauma Lucy went through has nothing to do with her asexuality. I just wanted to make that extra clear. She identified as asexual before Serena got hold of her. The trauma just left her with some memory loss (maybe blocking it out, who knows…) and desensitized lady bits. She hasn't lost all feeling there, it's just diminished. If I do expand this at some point, I wanted to leave it vague enough that I could really get into the details at some other point, instead of in this story. I just wanted to make it super clear that her trauma is not the cause of her asexuality. I'm not getting into whether asexuality is a result of trauma in other cases (not touching that with a ten-foot pole, guys), because for the purposes of this story that does not apply. At all.
> 
> 6. Laxus totally misunderstands her asexuality. It happens. His heart's in the right place, but he doesn't understand what being ace is like (as most people are when it comes to a sexuality that isn't their own), so he obviously misunderstands some aspects about Lucy's sexuality. Sorry, I didn't go into the whole "Laxus finding out his sister's sexually active and he can't process it" thing. Maybe if I continue it, I'll do that. Who knows…


End file.
